Enjoy peaches this summer in many various ways

The golden fruit makes tasty pies, cobblers and even ice cream. You can eat them plain, put them in a salad or make a jam out of them to enjoy their flavor later into the year.

When looking for peaches, check their color. There should be no green present. You also need to determine when you plan to eat them. Look for peaches that are soft if you plan to eat them in the next two days. Peaches that are more firm will ripen in a few days, so choose those if you plan to eat them in three to four days.

You can store ripe peaches at room temperature or in the refrigerator. However, don't put firm peaches in the refrigerator; it will keep the fruit from ripening and destroy the flavor.

To ripen firm peaches, put them in a paper bag, close the top and store out of direct sunlight. Don't store peaches in plastic bags.

For nutrition, peaches have vitamins A, C and E.

Here are some recipes that feature the fruit.

Grilled Peaches

Ingredients

4 ripe medium peaches

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

¼ cup dark brown sugar

1 to 2 pints frozen vanilla yogurt

- Suggested toppings: toasted sliced almonds

Directions

1 Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Slice each half in half and toss them in a bowl with the vanilla extract, almond extract and brown sugar. Set aside for 15 minutes while you preheat a grill with a medium-high heat.

2 Grill skin side down until skin is slightly charred, about 3 minutes. Turn and grill on the other two sides until you get nice grill marks, about 1 minute on each side.

3 Divide the peaches among 4 bowls and serve with the frozen yogurt and toasted almonds, if desired.

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 to 2 quarts sliced peaches1 quart sugar

1 quart cream*

1 lemon, squeezed

Directions

1 Puree the peaches in a blender. You will need at least one quart or more.

2 Stir in sugar.

3 Add lemon juice.

4 Stir in cream. The cream can be all heavy whipping cream (for the richest of ice creams), or any combination of cream and milk that you wish (the more milk, the less rich the finished product, and the less fat and cholesterol).

1 In a large bowl, combine the peaches, chicken, cucumber and onion; set aside.

2 In a blender, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, mint, salt and pepper; cover and process until smooth. Drizzle over chicken mixture; toss to coat.

3 Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

4 Use a slotted spoon to serve on lettuce-lined plates.

From Taste of Home

Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast with Peaches

Ingredients

8 fresh peaches

½ cup sugar

4 pinches ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 Mexican bolillo rolls

1 cup mascarpone cheese

6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1 lemon, zested

6 eggs

¾ cup milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons butter, or as needed

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, or as needed

Directions

1 Peel peaches, remove pits, and slice into a heavy saucepan, catching all the juices. Stir in sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and cook over medium heat until bubbly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

2 Meanwhile, cut off and discard the ends of the bolillo rolls. Slice the rolls into 1¼-inch-thick slices. Lay each slice of bread on a board, and with a sharp knife held parallel to the board, cut a pocket into each slice, leaving three sides intact. Set aside.

3 Stir together the mascarpone, confectioners' sugar, and lemon zest until smooth. Scoop this mixture into a small plastic bag. Cut off one corner of the bag, and pipe as much filling into the pocket in each slice of bread as will fit without overflowing.

4 Whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Melt butter with oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Dip each stuffed piece of bread into the batter, add to the skillet, and cook until browned on both sides. Serve hot with the warm peach sauce.

From AllRecipes.com

Nana's Southern Pickled Peaches

Ingredients

4 cups sugar

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons whole cloves

4 pounds fresh clingstone peaches, blanched and peeled

5 3-inch cinnamon sticks

Directions

1Combine the sugar, vinegar and water in a large pot, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Press one or two cloves into each peach, and place into the boiling syrup. Boil for 20 minutes, or until peaches are tender.

2Spoon peaches into sterile jars and top with liquid to ½ inch from the rim. Put one cinnamon stick into each jar. Wipe the rims with a clean dry cloth, and seal with lids and rings. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes to seal, or consult times recommended by your local extension.